It’s an exciting day for fans of the video game The Last of Us as it has been confirmed that Bella Ramsey (Lorna Luft, Judy) has been cast as Ellie, according to ComicBook. Ramsey is best known for her role in Game of Thrones as the strong-willed and honor-bound Lyanna Mormont. Ramsey had previously captured the hearts of several fans in the long-running HBO fantasy drama by portraying a young character with a stern sense of self and proclivity to question authority.
Lyanna Mormont and Ellie do share similar characteristics and traits. In the video games, Ellie is headstrong and passionate, she pushes forward through barriers in her life and exceeds expectations set forth by her elders. It will be up to Ramsey to showcase an adolescent girl living in a post-apocalyptic world trying to survive through sheer grit day in and day out. Ironically, the last time fans saw Ramsey fighting zombies on-screen she gets brutally killed by a giant in the army of White Walkers, so in a way, this is her revival as a seasoned zombie-slaying renegade.
The Last of Us universe was created by writer and director Niel Druckman (writer, Uncharted) and revolves around the relationship between an orphaned girl named Ellie and a smuggler named Joel who lost his daughter during the outbreak. The Last of Us also has a unique take on how the zombie infection spreads, based solely on spores that exist in our reality called Cordyceps. These spores are known to take over hostile insects such as ants and infect their behavior, disorienting the ants and turning them into a host for their spores. Once the ant is infected like this, other ants have to escort the infected body away from the colony or risk extermination. Check out the video below to see the Cordyceps spores in action.
With Ramsey cast as Ellie in the series, it’s only a matter of time until HBO finds their perfect Joel. Fans can rest easy knowing Ramsey has the acting chops to pull off a serious role in an action-drama thrill ride. Stay tuned for more information on The Last of Us and keep your spore masks handy.